A Night in New York
by ZemerGuri
Summary: AU. Castle meets Beckett in a bar/club, but someone gets in their way of having a good time. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Yea, right.

* * *

><p>It was a calm New York night. People were out, lights were flashing. There were drinks being passed around. The energy was great. The club was crowded with people of all ages, ranging from twenty-five to those who don't tell their age.<p>

His friends were trying to get his attention to check out some 'hot girl' with no priorities. Girls throw themselves at him all the time; there was no need to browse those who were interested. He just had to stand there and they are just drawn to him.

The floor was shaking from all the dancing and foot stomping. The bass was so loud he could feel every beat vibrate through his chest.

He turned to the bar to pick up his fresh drink - a Jack and Coke. Nothing fancy. It was just something to give him a slight buzz to enjoy the rest of the drunks around him. He turned back to look for any potentials that can _humor _him for the night. That was when he saw her.

Long legs. Tight fitted dress, short but modest enough to leave a man wanting more. Beautiful wavy hair going down to her shoulders. He almost did a double take if it weren't for the need to keep looking at her.

She was moving to the beat, however fast it was, but to him it might as well have been in slow motion. She had her eyes closed and was moving with abandon.

He took a sip of his drink, when his friend patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, Ricky, check her out. She must be some freak in the sheets." His friend, Al, pointed right at the girl he was watching. Freak? - No. Wild? - Possibly.

"I bet she knows how to make a man beg."

Rick kept his eyes on her, "She's definitely a heartbreaker."

Al looked at him. "Bet I can get her before she has a chance to learn my name."

Rick narrowed his eyes. That was Al. Always betting he can _get_ with the ladies. Sometimes it ends with a slap or a drink in the face – even with ice cubes – and other times it ends with Rick finding another ride home.

Al looks too smug though. It's perfect. Usually when he is this confident, he acts like the douche he is. It will be a piece of cake winning. "You're on. What are the terms?"

"I bet I will be able to get into her pants by the end of the night-"

"Pretty sure of yourself there, Al." Rick interrupted.

"Trust me. She won't be able to resist this…" He made a motion towards his body - his average body.

"Sure, sure. And when you lose, what do I get?" Rick hastened.

"OK, if I leave with her, you call me the greatest pick up artist – Al The Sex God." Al looked away as if he could see something, a vision, in the distance.

Rick stood there watching his ridiculous friend. He snapped his fingers in front of Al's face, breaking Al's day dream, "Oh Almighty Sex God… I'm waiting."

Coming back to reality, Al finally answered, "Fine. If you win, which you won't, I will..." he paused, "I will be your wingman until you see fit I stop."

"You're already my wingman. And not a very good one either." Rick said as he swirled his drink, mixing the alcohol, soda, and melted ice.

Al sighed, "Whatever, okay. Minor details. We'll figure it out _if_ I lose. Fair enough?"

"Deal." He shook Al's hand. Rick took another glance at the woman who was dancing. Al will never have a chance with her. She is too classy for him. But there is also something about her - a wild side that he may be seeing a glimpse of, but also a side that he may not be seeing. She definitely has the weight of the world on her shoulders. She must have gone through some ordeal that she feels the need to get out and let loose. She is dancing alone. Could be her boyfriend left her. Could be she just wants to have a fling with some pretentious bastard.

Oh.

Shit.

He might actually lose this bet. Al would be perfect to just have a one-night-stand with no strings attached. When Rick would bump into one of Al's _conquests, _she would end up telling him she needed what Al had to offer. And that it was _fun. _

Rick was about to recant this little wager, but it was too late. Al put his drink down after taking a considerable gulp, and started making his way to the dance floor.

* * *

><p>She was flying. There was nothing getting in her way as she moved to the music. She felt invincible as no one dared to bother her. There were a few playboys who made eyes with her, but she was not having it. She turned away from them and got lost in her movement.<p>

When she opened her eye, she saw two guys at the bar, discussing something. She made eye contact with one of them, who looked so full of himself. Well. They both did.

After a few seconds she realized they were talking about her. Great.

They seemed to have decided on something because one of them started walking in her direction. He was about her height if she wasn't wearing heels. His hair was what looked like a mohawk, and wore a too confident smile. From what she can see he would have a way with the ladies. She turned away from him and kept dancing. Hopefully he would get the hint she was not interested.

She was wrong.

When she spun around, he was right there shouting over the music.

"Now what is a lovely lady, like yourself, doing here alone tonight?"

She did not answer.

"You know, someone could take advantage of you in your lonesome."

She looked at him. "Are you here to protect me?"

A response. He must be getting through to her, he thought. "I could be. I would not mind defending your honor from some of the creeps here." Al said, as he moved an inch closer to her, matching her rhythm.

"I don't need protection." She heard these lines before. _You're a beautiful creature, let me show you how I can honor your body _or _Come home with me and I'll be your afternoon delight. _Okay, no one said that to her, but they might as well have.

Rick was watching Al make his first move. He started dancing with her - or around her. She was not paying much attention to Al. Rick saw him put his hand on her waist, it was tame, but then Al put his other hand on her. Rick got a peek at her face, and she looked on edge – like she was going to snap at Al any second for ruining her time alone.

He knows the feeling. It's the same thing when he is writing. You disturb him and you can expect a chapter made especially for you. They would usually be the messy ones that involve a certain hooded figure carrying a lethal weapon.

She felt his hands on her waist. She would have let it slide if she did not feel him tug her against his body.

That is the last straw. Turning around, she found him grinning. "Well, this was fun but I think I need a drink."

Al's grin widened. "I'll join you."

"I think I can manage by myself. I'm a big girl after all." With that, she left the floor and Al behind.

Rick watched her walk away from Al. Guess she was not looking for a meaningless fling after all. And that would mean Rick won the bet.

Cool beans.

He smiled to himself, and drained the last bit of his drink. Al was still on the dance floor trying to coerce another girl to dance with him, but it did not look like he was having any luck.

Rick was facing the bar when the woman next to him ordered a Cranberry with Vodka.

He turned his head to find none other than the dancing queen herself, standing right next to him. He looked away, when she brought her wonderfully green eyes to his blue. Seriously? Now was the time to be shy?

"Was that your buddy over there?" She asked, while waiting for her drink.

Rick looked at her again. "Yea, uh, Al."

Smooth.

"You should tell him to keep his hands to himself or he won't have any left." She said plainly.

Rick turned his body so he was fully facing her. She got to see his broad shoulders more clearly. Not to mention his bulging biceps. His blue eyes looked magnificent. Luckily she knows how to control her facial expressions because she would have looked like she was on the verge of drooling.

"Sorry about him. He thinks he can have any woman that breathes." Al even said that one time. Does not mean it is true.

Rick could tell she was sizing him up. Thinking about whether or not he was worthy of her time. He could practically see her mind at work.

"And what about you? I'm sure you can have any girl in here." She said with a poker face that would be deadly during a game.

This was a test. Had to be.

Maybe the truth will be the best approach.

"You're probably right." He could tell she was expecting that or something similar to it from her nod. "But it does not mean I want to have any girl." He added, holding her gaze. There was no smugness – no cockiness.

What a charmer, she thought. He probably says this to all his girls.

Rick saw her look down. It was not a blush. That is a common line he uses and she knows it. He decides to watch what he says or he'll end up like every other guy here. Turned down and forgotten.

"Rough day?" He asked as he saw her take a swig of her drink.

"Try rough week." Two double homicides were not the best way to start off her week. The things someone can do to other people. The lives that were lost and family's loss really took a toll on her and her team. It was too much sometimes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" His curiosity was almost at its peek. She is barely showing any interest in him, and yet, she is still there which means she might be interested. He notices the way her eyelids droop, and her arms tense every few minutes.

She was not caught off guard with the sincerity in his voice. She gets enough of that when people take the time to really look at her. "Thanks, but no. Part of the reason I am here is to be distracted."

"Oh, I see. Drop your top, let your hair down, go girls gone wild?" He joked.

She chuckled. Progress.

"Something like that. Except without the flashing boobs and profanity."

"Does dancing distract you?"

She looked at her glass on the bar. "It does. It gives me a chance to focus on the music and nothing else. It's a powerful thing," she said softly.

"Do you think there is room for one more during this time of power?" He asked while standing up. An encouraging smile was playing across his lips.

He wants to dance? She mulled it over. What could it hurt? He was being a gentleman. Sort of.

She led him to the middle of the dance floor, where it was most crowded - Al nowhere to be seen, thank God. The lights were flashing above them. It would probably give someone a seizure if they kept their eyes open for too long. But to everyone else, it set the perfect mood.

The song was playing a fast, and sensual beat.

Rick had to move closer to her because of the many bodies around them. They were facing each other. He felt her hand go around his neck playing with his hair. He moved one of his hands to her waist feeling just how slow she was moving.

He could smell her hair, and even though they were surrounded by sweat and alcohol, she smelled like a bed of roses. It was drawing him in.

She picked her head up to look into his blues. Or what was left of them. His eyes were darkening by the second. She knew exactly how she was affecting him.

His other hand wrapped around her lower back, bringing them even closer.

He had such masculine shoulders. Strong. His six-foot-plus height was engulfing her. It was like he was surrounding her from every angle, but wasn't. She titled her head down, barely touching his shoulder, his virile scent filling her up. That was not cologne. It had to be his natural scent. She definitely would not tire of his smell any time soon. Pheromones at its finest.

This was too much for him. She was not holding anything back as they moved like one. He spun her around so her back was to his chest. He could finally breath - settle his heart rate.

That didn't last long.

She began to move her hips and he almost let out a moan. Almost. He would not let her have such an affect on him, so he tightened his arms around her midsection and moved his body flush with hers.

She felt him again. Surrounding her, tightening his grip and blowing warm, cool, hot – she couldn't even fathom the temperature of his breath – on her ear. It was making her dizzy.

Nope, she was not going to give him the satisfaction of shivering against him. He didn't see her hand come up and gently touch his ear. It made him shiver from the way she was rubbing his lobe. That's right Mr. Charmer, two can play at this game, she thought.

"How are you doing there?" She said, turning her head, and sporting an evil grin.

He gulped silently, "Never better. Although, it's getting a little hot in here," he whispered in her ear.

"Oh, do you need to go cool down?" She said with mock concern in her voice. "We can stop and take a breather."

She dropped her hand and was shifting away from him. There was a faint whimper, but she couldn't tell if it was him or her that made it.

Rick took her wrist and spun her back into his chest, face to face. "I think I can handle a few more minutes."

His deep voice was vibrating through his chest, transferring to hers, sending chills straight to her toes. She gave a breathless approval.

They were there for ten more minutes, teasing, touching, being free until they gave into their reluctance and went back to the bar, his hand at her back.

"So…" He began as they ordered their next round of drinks. Their glasses disappeared when they left for their dance.

"So." Her elbow was leaning on the counter, watching him think about where to start the conversation.

"You are a great dancer."

She could feel her cheeks burning. Damn, she really did not want to blush in front of him. Not after what was going on in their little dance.

The bartender returned with their drinks.

She took a sip through the straw, "So, what do you do?"

"I am not sure I should say. How do I know you are not going to follow me home, and kill me in my sleep? Probably end up doing unmentionable things to my lifeless body."

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, you got me. That was my plan from the very beginning." She snapped her fingers, "Damn."

"It's ok. If you are nice to me I will let you ravish my body anyway," he said raising an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you want that? I've been told I'm too much a woman for some men," she said emphasizing each word.

He swallowed. "How about you give me your name and I can show you just how much woman I can handle another time."

She bit her lip in the sexiest way a woman can bite her lip. "We'll see about the latter. I'm Kate."

"Rick." He stuck his hand out for her to shake. "So now that we are well acquainted with each other…what is it that you do?" He asked still holding her hand on the bar.

"Oh, no. Tit for tat, you never answered my question."

"Fair enough." He stood up taller. "I am a CIA operative hired to get vital intel on the one they call 'Kate'."

This earned him another chuckle. It felt good making her laugh. "Well, looks like you are going to be here for a while, because you are not getting anything."

He squeezed her hand. "I don't mind staying here with you. I might even change your mind and learn your life long dreams by some coercing and interrogating. I have ways to make a woman speak."

She slapped his shoulder with her free hand and a playful grin on her face.

"How about I get your number instead?" He was hesitant. That question pretty much sums up the night, and the answer you get tell you how you did. By the looks she was giving him, he thought he had pretty good chances of her giving it to him.

She was actually considering giving him her number, when she felt a hand grab her rear end.

Dammit, Al, Rick thought.

A/N: So this happened when i was bored in class. If it is totally repulsive and you think i should never consider about thinking about writing again...let me know - nicely - or tell me how to improve. Thanks for reading. If they seemed out of character...apologies. My excuse is that I'm not Andrew or Terri, or the rest of the amazing writers.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A few weeks had passed since that night. Kate would go back to the club once or twice a week, depending on her mood, but every time she did go, it kept reminding her of him.

It sucked.

She had such a great time with him. She might have even thought of doing more with him than just dancing, but Al seemed to have saved her from making that mistake. Jerks, the both of them.

Rick was so attractive and the way he was looking at her that night. . .it was intense.

* * *

><p><em>She felt a hand grab her rear end.<em>

"_Ricky! I see you're talking to the beautiful lady I was dancing with." Al said, resting his hand on Kate's ass nonchalantly - as if he did it all the time. _

_Rick saw her discomfort and knew she would be able to take Al down in a heartbeat with the vibe she was giving off. He had to get Al away from her - for Al's safety, not because he wanted to be alone with Kate again. _

_Yeah, he had to keep telling himself that._

"_Al, buddy, you're trashed. Let me call you the car service, so they can take you home." Al was swaying back and forth, leaning more and more over Kate._

"_Car service? Why can't you drive me home, you have a car." _

"_No, I don't. I didn't plan on driving tonight. You know what happened the last time I drove drunk. It took a very long time for you to pay me back for that ticket." _

"_Fine then. Let's go," Al huffed, but still made no move to leave. He started sniffing Kate's hair instead. _

_She was at the tip of her breaking point. _

"_Not us, you." Rick glanced at Kate. He saw her tense up and with the look she was giving off, he could tell she was getting ready to do some damage – a girl can only take so much from a drunken groper. _

_Al leaned closer to Kate, his body touching hers. She was just about to explode, when Rick stood up and took Al's arm off of her. _

_He whispered to Al harshly, "Look, she's not interested. Don't force it." _

_Al looked at Rick, then Kate, who had taken a few steps away from Al. "Oh, I see. You want to have a go at her. Now that I struck out, you want to step up to bat." _

"_Al, you're drunk. Go home." Rick said in a hushed tone._

"_The night is not over, Ricky. I still have a chance with that fine tail. You haven't won the bet yet." _

_There is just no getting through to him when he is like this. "Okay Al, you win. Go home and sober up, I'll see you tomorrow." _

"_Whatever." Well that worked. Al turned to Kate, "Nice meeting you darling. Too bad you won't get an encore of our little dance."_

"_How ever will I live with myself," Kate replied dryly. Rick had to suppress the urge to laugh._

_Al took what was left of Rick's drink and chugged it down, before leaving them alone once again. Rick sighed and turned his attention back to Kate. _

"_I apologize for that, you don't deserve to be treated that way," Rick shook his head. _

"_I'm used to guys hitting on me. But if your friend touches me again, I will have to dislocate his arm." _

_She had the most innocent face on; Rick could not help but smirk at the threat to his friend. He was fairly certain that she would not carry out on that promise. _

_Maybe it would be better for all of them if she never saw Al again. _

_A moment passed and Kate was too curious to let it go, "So, you two made a bet? What was it – who could stay sober the longest?" There was a playful glint in her eyes. _

_He did not want to talk about it. What was he supposed to say, "We made a bet to see if Al the Sex God could get in your pants?" No way, he had to steer clear of this topic of conversation._

"_It was nothing, really. Do you want to dance again? I like this song." _

"_Oh, you're avoiding it. Must be juicy." Kate pursed her lips. "Come on, tell me. Can't be that bad."_

"_Actually, you're the one person I cannot tell." His eyes were darting from hers to his hands. _

_Kate hesitated. She is the one person he cannot tell? Obviously it is about her then. Maybe it was when Rick was at the bar with Al, before he came over to dance with her. Before he came to dance with her – was that the bet? To dance with her? But then Al came back and still tried to hit on her. _

_Rick could see the wheels turning in Kate's head. _

_Not good. _

"_What, did you guys bet on if I would go home with one of you tonight?" Her face was mixed with disgust and incredulity. The nerve of some men was just unbelievable. _

"_No, no. I said he couldn't because you would not go for someone like him." Rick tried to defend himself, which also made his voice go up an octave to high. _

_Kate let out a resigned sigh, "It was nice meeting you, but I think I should go. Thank you for the drinks." _

_Rick watched as she brushed past him to head for the exit. _

_It took him a full four seconds before he rubbed his face, hard, and spun around to chase after her. _

…_._

_Rick did not see her when he finally got onto the street. Of course it is crowded the most when he has to search the street. He scanned the pedestrians and drunks when he saw brown curls duck into a cab._

_She was pissed. She shouldn't be though; all men are the same. They have one goal and that is to try and take what they think they can have._

_If she wanted to dance she should have just stayed home and turned the music up to the maximum volume. It wouldn't be the same though, plus her pesky neighbors would report her for the noise. _

_As the cab pulled away, she chanced a glance behind her. What she did not expect to see was a sullen Rick standing there, helpless to her departure. _

_He shrugged off a girl, who was grabbing his shirt. His brow furrowed and his lips pressed together. _

_Right before the cab turned the corner she could see he was mouthing something to her, however, the distance between them made it difficult to see clearly. _

_Rick watched the cab reach the corner and said the only two words he could muster up before she completely left him -_

I'm sorry.

* * *

><p>Maybe she overreacted. Maybe she should have gotten the whole story. Oh well, it is too late now anyway. He probably forgot about her and moved on to the next piece of meat he and his buddy could get their hands on.<p>

…

Rick had not forgotten anything-

Not her hair, not her eyes. Not the way she moved with him – against him.

He was sitting in his newly furnished loft, thanks to his increasing book sales. No one was home at the moment. Alexis was with her grandmother spending God knows how much of his money. He did not mind though. She deserves it after all the hard work she has put into her schoolwork. Besides, he knows Alexis only buys essentials… unlike his mother.

Rick wanted to go stake out the bar and wait for her to come back, but honestly how creepy does that sound. It is not like he wants to see her in a smoky place that reeks of drunks anyway. He wants to go somewhere more intimate. Somewhere where Al will not get in his way again.

His laptop had just been sitting there for over two hours. The blinker was taunting him. He had written so much the previous week that he was now out of ideas. Fed up, he closed his computer little too hard and stood up. He needed a breather.

When he took his coat off the rack, he decided that he should take his notebook with him. There is always something to write when he is outside watching others interact. It is even better when it's from his personal experience, but watching something secondhand has its benefits.

Rick walked down the street; thankfully not many people were out at this time. The little café on the corner has the best coffee in the city, so he definitely had to make a pit stop there.

The line was a bit long, so he decided to get his seat first before they were all gone. He hates when he gets his coffee first and has nowhere to sit.

Making his way to the now shorter line, he orders a coffee and two cookies. Behind him, the door's bell rings indicating that someone just came in - a man and a woman by the sound of their voices.

Rick turned towards his table and started walking back to it. With his back facing the counter, he still heard the woman's voice from his seat.

She had such a complicated order that the young barista had to ask the woman to repeat herself three times. She must be a new employee.

The lady asked for a cookie as well, but was soon let down.

"Sorry ma'am, we're out of cookies. If you want you can wait about ten minutes for the fresh batch," the barista said apologetically.

"Aw man, I was really craving them," she said more to herself than to anyone in particular. "No it's OK, we have to leave soon anyway," the lady replied solemnly.

Rick looked at his untouched cookies. Well, it is not like he will miss them. Half of the time he never eats them with his coffee. And yet, for some reason, he always buys them. He made up his mind and took the still wrapped cookies towards the counter, where he saw the woman waiting for her beverage.

Hmm. . .nice hair.

He tapped her shoulder, "Excuse me, you can have mine if you want-"

She turned around making him stutter. He recognized those eyes, that bone structure, even her eye shadow.

Kate.

"I haven't touched them," he finished softly. Well this certainly makes things interesting. He goes outside to clear his head and now his mind is so far from clear.

Rick did not know what to do with his hands. He held up the cookies again in offering.

The man standing next to her began to stare, "Everything alright Beckett?"

Beckett. Kate Beckett. Nice flow.

When Rick met the man's eye, he almost peed himself. He was Hispanic and a bit shorter than Rick, but he was giving off the most intense death glare Rick had ever seen. Is that her boyfriend?

Rick could not help but feel a pang of jealousy. It has been weeks since their first encounter, so it is possible she found someone.

"Yeah, everything is fine Esposito," she said, while still looking at Rick.

"Take the cookies, Kate. I wasn't going to eat them anyway." His hand was still stretched out.

He saw her eyes widen for a fraction of a second, as if she didn't expect him to remember her name.

She finally took the cookies, brushing her fingers lightly across his. Sending an electrical pulse throughout her body.

"Thank you," she said quietly still looking into his eyes.

Esposito's phone began to ring, "Excuse me…talk amongst yourselves," he joked.

Kate started fiddling with the cookie wrapper, still no sign of her coffee.

"So what brings you here?" She started in a tone filled with confidence and control.

He smiled at the effort, "I just wanted to get some fresh air, maybe write."

"You write? Amateur or you actually know what you are doing?" She had met her fair share of men who thought they were the next Stephen King. She was tired of coming across so-called writers who do not even know how to begin a story.

"Well, I'd like to think so. My readers haven't complained yet. Book reviews are a different story, though – most of them are great." He started grinning at her. No reason not to be proud of his work.

"You're a famous writer aren't you," she said embarrassed.

"Pretty much, yeah," his smile did not falter. "I'm kind of a big deal."

"Which genre?"

The young barista finally brought Kate her coffee. She must have still been confused about the order. Rookies.

"Murder Mystery-"

"Wait a minute. Rick. . .Richard Castle?" she practically shouted it. How did it not click sooner?

His smile widened, "So you _do_ know me…"

Kate narrowed her eyes, "I know _of_ you."

"Oh no you don't, that wasn't the reaction of a person just in the know. You have read some of my work haven't you?" He leaned in a little closer to her, "Tell me Kate, what is your favorite book to curl up in bed with?"

He watched as she looked down to the floor. Apparently there was something more appealing on the ground than looking at him and talking about his books.

She met his eyes again, coffee still in hand.

Rick could not look away from her, especially since she was only a few inches away from him. He realized the man had not returned yet. Must be some phone call.

"Your boyfriend seems like a nice guy."

Her brow furrowed, "Who?"

"The guy you are with."

She started shaking her head, "We just work together. No boyfriend."

His mind started doing cartwheels. _No boyfriend_. Free to woo her without the possibility of having a very buff dude threatening to kill him.

A man cleared his throat next to them. "Why don't you guys get a table or leave, you're kind of in the way of the rest of us getting our coffees."

Like there is not enough room for them to walk around us, Rick thought. "Would you like to sit down? I have a table right over there." He led Kate into that direction without waiting for her answer. Apparently people needed to get their coffee.

When they reached the table, Rick pulled out her chair waiting for her to sit. She looked at him skeptically.

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, I'm the kind of guy who pulls out a woman's chair for her. Don't be so surprised."

"Well after that night, I'm not sure what kind of guy you are." She settled her coffee on the table and ripped open the cookie wrapper.

He sat down and shifted his seat closer to Kate. When his eyes flicked up to hers, he decided to shift back to his original position.

"Look, I'm sorry. Al was a jerk, I was a jerk, and I have no excuses. You deserved better than that." It was time to get rid of this tension between them.

She waited a moment and could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"Rick, it's not your fault. You two were looking for a good time, I should've known."

"No, I wasn't looking for a good time. That's not me."

She gave him an incredulous look.

"Ok, it is me, but not with you," he corrected.

She raised her eyebrows, causing him to sigh and rub his face.

He met her eyes and saw she was holding back a laugh. His face blanched, and that seemed to do it. She let out a laugh, which he took to be teasing him.

"Ha ha, very funny." Her face began to sober. "Please, don't let me interrupt the hilarity of my embarrassment," he added.

"I couldn't help it. You're adorable when you're trying to defend yourself. That hole was just getting deeper and deeper."

He leaned across the space between them and took her hand in his.

"I'm adorable to you? Adorable is something you tell your little brother." He squeezed her hand slightly.

"How about cute?" She says, leaning closer, flipping her hand so they are now palm to palm.

His fingertips started gliding along her palm, a gentle caress. She swallowed a felt like a frog in her throat. . .the things he can do to her.

His voice deepened, "I don't think 'cute' is the right one either."

Her lip slipped between her teeth, drawing his attention to her mouth.

"Rugged?"

"We can work with that. Any more adjectives you can think of?"

Oh, how she likes having him this close to her. He had a bit of scruff on his jawline and his hair was in a fashionable ruffle.

"Hmm, I seem to be drawing a blank." She started moving her fingers against his palm now just below his wrist, down to the curve of his fingers.

He cleared his throat, "I think you can conjure up one more." His breath was now ghosting over her lips.

"You know what you are?" She whispered.

He let out a throaty moan for her to continue as his eyes flickered to her lips.

She was so close to his face, they were almost sharing the same breath.

"Impetuous," she said plainly. She sat back in her chair, her hand now free from his.

He slowly straightened up, "Tease."

Just then Esposito made himself known with a cough. "That was Lanie on the phone, I'm going to head back now."

"Oh, good. Results came back?" She stood up and grabbed her coffee off the table.

Rick looked between the two of them, as he got to his feet. He doesn't want her to leave yet. Especially since he still did not get her number.

Esposito looked at Rick's hopeful eyes. "I can fill you in later, Beckett. You don't have to cut this," he pointed to Rick, "short."

Rick could kiss him right now.

"I'll call you if we make any headway," Esposito said as he started walking towards the exit, ignoring Kate's objections.

Kate stood there wondering how she lost the control to make her own decisions in her life. When she turned back to Rick, she saw he was staring at her midsection.

"What?"

"You're a cop?" He asked, pointing at her now unhidden badge on her belt. Just when he thought she could not be any sexier. Chasing down criminals, handcuffing them. Bet she has good experience with handcuffs.

She closed her coat, "Detective, actually."

"Well, you are just full of surprises Detective," he flashed this charming smile.

She leaned in close so she could whisper in his ear, "You have no idea."

When she pulled back, she saw his eyes darken once more.

"Um, I'm going to head back now. We have this case I'm hoping to close as soon as possible."

"Sure, I understand." He reached for her abandoned cookies on the table and handed them to her.

"It was nice to have seen you again, Rick," she held out her hand.

"That's it? A handshake and a farewell?"

"Not what you were expecting?"

"Well, I would have written it differently, I must say."

She bit her lip as he pulled out a pen and ripped a piece of paper from his notebook.

Was he really going to write it?

He took her hand and placed the paper inside, closing her fingers around it.

"Call me sometime. I'm sure we can continue this over dinner next week."

She stared at their joined hands for a moment before she smiled and answered, "We'll see."

Kate began to stride past him when she felt his hand wrap around her elbow and pull her back, launching her into his chest. She barely had a second to figure out what was happening before his lips were on hers - molding, sucking, fighting for control.

Her hand grabbed the nape of his neck, bringing him closer to her. One hand tangled in her hair, while the other grazed her hip, and squeezed it firmly. She let out an audible moan that should only be reserved for the bedroom.

A good ten to fifteen seconds passed by when they realized they were still in the coffee shop, making out like a couple of horny teenagers.

Reluctantly, Rick pulled away from her soft, swollen lips, and smudged lipstick.

"I'll be expecting that call, Detective," he rasped out.

With that, he made his exit, leaving her standing there in shock.

Yeah, he will definitely get that call.

* * *

><p><strong>the end.<strong>

* * *

><p><em>AN: So sorry for the long wait. Hopefully you all liked this and hopefully I didn't blow it. Any thoughts or feedback whether positive or negative is appreciated! Side note, I changed my name from TogetherWeRead to ZemerGuri. _


End file.
